`Queen Of Arista' Signs Mega-deal

Names & Faces

Pop diva Whitney Houston has landed a big payday, cutting a $100 million record deal with her longtime label, Arista Records.

Eager to keep the chart-topping star from bolting to another label, Arista chief Antonio "L.A." Reid signed off on one of the biggest record contracts of all time.

"Whitney Houston is the premier vocalist of our time," Reid said. "She is the queen of Arista Records."

"I am so excited about this new deal, and I'm looking forward to going into the studio soon to work on my next album," Houston said.

Fans can expect to see a new album from Houston in the next six months, Reid said. Under the new contract, she is obliged to deliver seven albums to Arista.

Keeping the Grammy Award-winning superstar on board has been a priority for Reid, who took over Arista's helm from music legend Clive Davis a year ago.

Industry insiders thought Houston might follow Davis to his new company, J Records. It was Davis who discovered Houston in 1983 and helped catapult her to stardom. With 140 million albums sold, she is by far Arista's biggest-selling artist.

Houston's contract brings her close to the ranks of rival Mariah Carey, who signed a five-record deal with Virgin last year for more than $20 million per record.

Not everyone thinks paying big money to Houston is a wise move, considering her erratic behavior over the past few years with husband Bobby Brown.

Asked whether he was concerned about Houston's personal problems, Reid said, "We all have good times and bad. I looked at Whitney Houston and saw a woman dedicated to her career."